Local Scouts travel overseas

In all, 21 Boy Scouts and leaders experienced first hand what the Brotherhood of Scouting means when they traveled to Britain recently.

The contingent from the Mason-Dixon Council visited England, Scotland and Wales.

The group stayed in the Baden-Powell House Scout Hostel. They toured London, seeing the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Parliament House, Westminster Abbey, the Admiralty House, Tower of London, Abbey Road of the Beatles fame, and shopping on Oxford Street. And then, they went to Piccadilly Circus and London's Times Square.

They traveled by train to Edinburgh, Scotland, and stayed with Scout families. The group visited Edinburgh Castle, the Old City which dates from the 1400s and the New City which dates from the 1700s, walked down the Royal Mile and saw Holy Rood House where Queen Elizabeth stays while in Scotland. They also toured the Scottish Parliament, the Royal Yacht and St. Giles Cathedral. The group climbed Arthur's Seat, a rocky mount in the center of the city. The last evening, the Scottish Scouts gave the American group a cailildh, which is a party, and made them honorary members of their troop.

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The contingent then traveled to Wales and were met by Welsh Scout leaders and taken to the town of Dinas Powys, and stayed with Scout families. They visited Caxdixx Castle, the bay area, Welsh Village, a museum at St. Fagan, Caerphilly Castle ruins and the Big Pit Coal Mine. The group was the guest at a barbeque hosted by the Welsh Scouts.

The group returned to London visiting Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, St. Paul's Cathedral and Gilwell Park, which is the first permanent Scout camp in the world.

The Mason-Dixon Council serves the youth in the Washington, Franklin and Fulton counties.